Interlocking building block



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. E' T H EWE P. W. GROTH INTERLOCKING BUILDING BLOCK Filed July 22, 1938 March 12, 1940.

March l2, 1940. P W .GROT|| 2,192,970

INTERLOCKING BUILDING BLOCK Filed July 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY N E VR' ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 12, 1940 i UNITED STATES PATENT o-F'Fics 2,192,970 INTERLOCKING BUILDING BLQCK.`

Paul' W.' Groth, Des Moines, Iowa Application. July 22, 1938, Serialy No.- 220,691

i? Claims.

The principalobject-of: thisinventionstov provde an interlocking building block in` which. each succeedingy row. of block` firmly locksthe lastlaid blocks and which automatically alignsor' trucs 5 the sidewall being constructed.

A further object of` thisinvention is toprovide any interlocking building block which inherently provides a double Wallv construction to alstructure;

I-y Ar still further` object of my invention. is to provide anl interlocking. building block which when incorporated into a Wall provides a firmly lockedwallvertically and horizontally having the advantages ciY multiple layer structure, lightness 'f I6 in weight andgreat inherent strength.

25 are attained as hereinafter more. fully set forth,

pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of av portion of a. Wall structure incorporating my. interlocking f building block.

Fig. 251s a topcross sectional View of a Wall of my building block taken on the lineV 2 2` of Fig. 1.

3 is an end sectional View of the Wall taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of one of my interlocking building blocks.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end sectional view of one of my block elementsr more fully illustrating its construction.

Fig. 6' is an enlarged end sectional view of a type of block showing a modified form of structure taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 8. i

Fig. 7 is an endcross sectional view of a portion of a wall constructed With the blocks shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of the block shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an end elevational view of one of the 501 blocks shown in Fig. 6.`

Iny building construction, it is desirable that the structure be rfire-proof, weathereproof, and have great inherent strength. This'has been hitherto attempted through the use.` of poured re- .55 infomed concrete, brick` veneer, cement; block,

cinderZ block andvarious other ceramic or synthetic stone materials. Several disadvantages are apparent in these structures. The mortar betweenthe various blocks is comparatively Weak thereby detracting from the inherent strength 5 ofthe completed structure. Furthermore, it is necessary that a skilled workman lay the blocks as they must be'perfectly aligned by hand. This,

in addition to losing poor structure, isalso very expensive which is also a disadvantage of 'poured 10 concrete. Furthermore, Weather cracks appear in time, detracting from the exterior beatuy of the structure. Also, it is necessary toy build a doublewall or a superficial str-'uctureinL order to provide abacking or form for these materials! 15 heretofore used. I' have overcomesuch disadvantages. asA will be hereinafter `more fully set forth.

Referring to` the drawings, IA have used the numeral ill to designate a block precastof` con 20 crete-or like material. This block i it hasVV formed along one of its longer marginal edges, a flange l i tapered awayf'rom the body ofthe block in order to facilitate molding and construction. The numerals t2 andl 1.3idesignatetwotfl'anges.formed` 25 on the longer edge of' the block lli leaving a channel or like I4 between` them as sho-wn in Fig. 5 of the drawings. This channel lil is substantially equal in cross sectional area to Vtwo of the flanges Hl. I have used the numerals l5 30 and IB- to designate flanges extending from. the ends ofthe block lill4 asshown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. To permit air cellsin the constructed wall and to make the material light without sacricingy constructional strength, I 35 have recessed the rearward face of the block in several places and have sloped the marginalA confines of these recesses to facilitate the molding of the block and to provide the necessary sloping shoulders l'l` and `I8` as shown in Fig. ,5.v The nu- 40 merals- I9; 201 and 2l indicate raised shoulders protruding at the rear of the block in a manner shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. These shoulders i9, 20 and 2t extend beyond the rearward face ofthe block at` the end adjacent the flange 45 ll' for a short distance andi then parallel` with the face of the block. This leaves a shoulder on the inner face of the block so that when two o-f the blocks are placed back to back with their longer marginal edges reversed, or the. flange; I3 50 adjacent` the ange ll, the blocks will nest together and be. lockedY against any movement vertically.. In this manner every alternate pair of blocks will lock their last succeeding block inthe manner shown in Fig. 3` of the4 drawings.. It 55 will here be noted that these blocks may be reinforced by placing therein metal lath or other reinforcing means. I have illustrated a reinforcement in Figs. 2 and 3 and this reinforcing material I have designated by the numeral4 22. When the blocks are placed together horizontally, the flanges I5 will touch the iianges IG of the "next succeeding block leaving a. rectangular opening adjacent the ends of the blocks. Into this opening is poured wet concrete to form a vertical pillar between the blocks. This vertical pillar, I have designated by the numeral 23. This pillar 23 may be reinforced in the usual manner and adds materially to the structural strength of the completed wall and, in addition, forms the locking joint between two horizontally adjacent blocks. I have used the numeral 2d to designate cut away portions in the ends of the flange II to facilitate the entrance of one ange into its respective channel in the next succeeding block. In Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, I have illustrated an alternate type of structure for my block which I will now describe. The numeral 25 designates the molded block of concrete or like. This block has a flange 2B along one of its longer marginal edges. This flange has one of its surfaces flush with the face surface of the block 25. I have used the numeral 2l to designate a ange formed along the other marginal edge of the block 25 adjacent the rear surface of the block. The numeral 26 designates a sloping shoulder formed adjacent the flange 2li and extending rearwardly. The numeral 2Q designates a similar sloping shoulder formed adjacent the flange 27 as shown in Fig 6 of the drawings. It will here be noted that the shoulder 28 is approximately equal in length to the shoulder 29. I have used the numerals 30, 3i and 32 to designate webs extending substantially parallel with the face surface of the block 25 and in a parallel plane with the rearward'end of the shoulder 28. Thus, when two blocks are reversed the shoulder 29 rides on the shoulder 28 and the flanges 26 and 2'! are adjacent each other in a manner shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. I have used the numerals 33 andv 34 to indicate flanges formed along the end marginal edges of the block 25 adjacent the face side in a manner similar to the flanges I5 and I6 of the block lil. Each pair of blocks are fitted together as described and these pairs are then built into a wall in the manner shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

The practical use of my interlocking building block is as follows: Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that when the blocks I0 are used, two of the blocks form a pair and these two blocks are reversed and placed back to back with the fiat side of the flange I3 resting against the fiat side of the flange I I, then when the nextsucceeding layer or pair of blocks is laid upon a foundation block, the flanges l 2 and I3 will firmly hold together the flanges I3 and Il of the next succeeding pair of blocks which rest within the channel I4 thus locking each successive layer of the block together when the next pair is applied. The flanges I5 and i6 form vertical channel between the blocks horizontally and this is poured with concrete and reinforced, thereby locking the blocks together horizontally as well as providing additional strength to the completed wall or structure. With the structure shown in Fig. 7, the blocks do not interlock but are prevented from horizontal movement by the overlapping of the flanges and are held in vertical alignment by having poured concrete pillars within the flanges 33 and 34. Thus it will be seen that I have provided an inter-locking building block having many advantages. It will be noted that all of the irregularities on the cast block are formed on the rearward side of the block. This makes it unnecessary when casting the block to have a mold over the outer surface of the block. This is especially advantageous in that the outside face of the block may be nished in any desirable method at the time that the blocks are molded. They may be trowled smooth or may be given any type of nish. This is highly desirable in precast construction, inasmuch as it lowers the oost of labor at the time of erecting the structure and increases the speed with which a structure may be erected. Obviously, my block may be made of any size and any type of material capable of being formed. It may be the case that half of the blocks may be molded oi an insulative material and be used as an inner wall, adding, in addition to actual strength, and rigidity, insulative qualities making it unnecessary to use anything in the construction of the side walls of the dwelling except my interlocking building block. The block may be given any nish internally or externally due to its shape and the fact that the face surface can be exposed in a mold making it accessible, so that it maybe worked in the factory making it unnecessary to add any finishing touchs to the exterior or interior of the wall when erected. Thus my building block fulfills all my objects and presents many other obvious advantages. two blocks in a pair as an outer section and an inner section.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved interlocking building block without departing from marginal edge of said section, a flange along the,`

upper opposite marginal edge of said section; said lower marginal `edge having said channel being of a thickness greater than the thickness of said upper marginal edge of said section, an

outer side section having a flat outer side and55 a depression in its rearward side, a channel in the upper marginal end of said outer side section, a flange formed o-n the opposite marginal edge; said upper edge having a thickness much greater than the thickness of the lower edge of said outer section, raised surfaces on the rear of both said inner and said outer sections; said two sections designed to be placed adjacentl each other to provide a sectional hollow building block having a notch and a flange along each of their,

marginal edges and oppositely disposed from each other for locking with and engaging duplicate outer and inner sections below and above it, and flanges extending outwardly from the other opposite marginal edges of each of said sections for facilitating the locking of said sections to duplicate sections placed adjacent and on either side of said two sections.

2. In a building block, a hollow `block member vcomposed of two identical sections placed ad-` I have in my claims referred to the.

jacent each other to form an inter-locking block each section, comprising, a rectangular hollow body member, a ange formed along one of the marginal edges of said body member adjacent one of the face surfaces of said block, a flange :formed on the other end of said sectional block member and positioned a substantial distance inwardly from the face surface, a lthird iiange formed on the rst mentioned marginal edge of said sectional block member spaced `apart from said rst mentioned flange on the first mentioned marginal edge of said sectional block member, a fourth flange formed on said first mentioned marginal edge of said sectional block member spaced apart from said second mentioned flange; said rst and said third mentioned fla-nge being so designed that they will be received by the space between said second and said third mentioned flanges When a. duplicate section of block is placed on top; of said block section and flanges extending from the ends of said block sections to form a channel oppositely disposed to said first and said second mentioned l0 marginal edges.

` PAUL W. GROTH. 

